"Fay tried to kiss me!" Peter screamed, pointing at Fay accusingly.
"I-I," Fay stuttered cheeks turning pink. "I thought you would want to, I thought you liked me!"
"I don't like you," Peter made a horrible face. Even Wendy thought that was a bit harsh.
"Well, I think we need to talk about this calmly," Wendy tried to instruct the two. However, Peter seemed not to hear her, and was still staring at Fay in indignance and disbelief.
"I can't believe you thought I liked you! I'm in love with Wendy!" Peter shouted.
Wendy's entire world slowed to a stop. What had he just said.
Wendy stared at Peter searching his face for a shred of a lie, but there was nothing there that indicated that he was joking. Wendy could not make her mouth work as she gazed at Peter's emerald eyes. It felt like they were the only two people in the whole world. Everything was a blur around them.
"Y-you're in love with me?" Wendy finally pushed the words out, holding Peter's gaze.
"Yes, of course," Peter said giving her a terribly confused look. "Wait, you didn't know?"
"Of course I didn't bloody know Peter! You never said anything," Wendy said defensively.
"Yes I did!" He retorted, never able to be wrong. "I literally was just telling you how the island changed after you left. I was telling you how much I missed you, that I had to see you one last time."
"Peter, what does that have to do with you loving me?" Wendy demanded. "Anyone could want to see a friend again."
"The island, Wendy," Peter said desperately, as if willing her to understand. "Why do you suppose it is dying?"
"Because, because I changed you, or something like that. The heart told you I changed you, I guess it was because we are from different worlds," Wendy said rationally.
"Oh, Wendy," Peter practically laughed. "Use that wonderful brain of yours."
"I still don't understand," Wendy said cautiously.
"You changed me because I fell in love with you," Peter explained, and Wendy felt her heart lurch as if it were trying to escape her chest and reach Peter's.
"The day you left I began to long for something from out of my own world. I had fallen in love with something that didn't belong in Neverland. Until that moment, I had all I ever wanted in Neverland. My heart belonged here, but when I fell in love with you the magic began to wain because my heart wanted something else. That is why I began to grow, my body was imitating the thing my heart longed for. The island was no longer supported by the strength of my dedication."
"Oh," this was all Wendy could say, and her voice quavered when she said it as well. She had never imagined this would be the reason why the island was dying.
"I thought surely you would understand that from what I was saying, I don't know how else the island would be in such disrepair," Peter told Wendy earnestly.
"So all this time, you were leading me on?" asked Fay.
"I didn't lead you on," Peter said crossly, still staring at Wendy, waiting for her response. "Wendy brought you along, and I was nice to you."
"Fine, then you led us and the Lost Boys to believe that you didn't know what the island was ailing from, and therefore lead us into unnecessary danger."
"I know, and I am sorry for that," Peter said looking down in guilt.
"I know it was selfish, but Wendy I can't help but be selfish when it comes to you. I want you, I want you all to myself. I never want you to leave, I want you to stay with me. It was selfish to let the island die, and put everyone in danger, but I couldn't bare the thought of not seeing you one last time."
"One last time?" Wendy asked in confusion. "Peter, why do you say it like that?"
"Because, I'm afraid I know what the sacrifice I must make is," Peter said dismally.
"What is it?" Wendy asked curiously.
"I must let the magic take away my love for you," Peter said softly.
"What?" Wendy asked, horror in her tone.
"Yes, I must sacrifice my love for you. After it is taken away, I will no longer hold any feelings for you, in fact I won't even know who you are," Peter told her.
"No, that can't be," Wendy said, feeling tears entering her eyes. "I would tell you, I would remind you. I would read you stories, I would cook you dinner, we would go on new adventures, it wouldn't be so bad. I would make you care about me again. We would make new memories," Wendy said in earnest, now moving toward Peter, grabbing his hand with conviction.
"It would be no use, my mind, my heart, it would be blocked to you. I could never learn to care for you again, the magic would stop me," Peter said, not meeting Wendy's blue eyes.
"That is why I waited so long. I knew if I saw you again, you'd bring out the good in me, and convince me I needed to think of others before myself, and you did. I know that I need to fix the island, the fairies are suffering, Tigerlily and her people are low on food, Hook is torturing his crew, I can not stand idly by any longer."
"I wish I hadn't been so hard on you," Wendy whispered. "I didn't know the stakes."
"But you still agree, don't you, Wendy bird? You still know, I must do this," Peter said gently, moving closer to Wendy. He curled one of her locks around his finger.
"Yes, of course, but I don't know that I will ever recover," Wendy whispered.
"A bit dramatic don't you think," Peter tried to say brightly, but it didn't quite work.
"Where is Fay?" Wendy said, looking around, trying to distract herself from crying.
"I think she left, I'm not sure where she went," Peter said, clearing his throat. "Probably for a walk, I was a bit harsh with her."
"Yes, well," Wendy sniffed. "You should be resting. If we have to make another trip to Skull Rock, you'll need your strength." Wendy had never fancied herself similar to her mother, but now she noticed a resemblance. The way she hid her feelings, stuffed them down, replaced them with practicalities and manners, was just what Wendy was doing. She went to Peter's room to fluff his pillows and make sure he had medicine to relieve his pain, trying hard not to think of the revelation Peter had just shared.
"Wendy," Peter said softly from his doorway.
"Get in bed," Wendy said in a no nonsense tone. Peter knew better than to disobey. He eased himself into the bed, and Wendy felt guilty now that she knew she was the reason he could even be injured this badly.
"Wendy," Peter said softly again, holding her small hand in his. He gently pulled her down onto the bed.
"Tell me you are not mad at me," He begged, trying to catch her eye.
"I am not mad at you," She recited. Peter stayed quiet for a small amount of time.
"Do you…. do you, love me too?" Peter dared to ask.
"Peter, of course, of course I do," Wendy felt the tears entering her eyes again.
"You do," Peter's voice was weak with relief.
"Yes," Wendy nodded. "I've always loved you. I love your golden curls, I love your tanned skin, I love your laugh, I love your ability to play the flute, I love your voice, and your attitude. I love all of you. All those things you said were so lovely, it is a dream come true to have you love me. I couldn't wait to come back to Neverland, but now I'm so afraid, I don't want to lose you," Wendy began to sob, placing her hands on Peter's tanned chest, her fingers curling, as if she were lost in a storm, and he kept her afloat.
"Wendy," Peter said, voice wrecked with emotion.
"Peter," Wendy sniffed.
"Yes," He said.
"May I kiss you?" She asked, and remembered when she'd asked the same question all those years ago.
"I want to," Peter said, and she could see the desire in his eyes, his hands reaching out as if his body had already decided on its answer. "But it will only make it that much harder when I have to give you up."
"I'm willing to take that risk," Wendy said, and leaned down. She kissed him full on the lips. His lips were soft as silk. His skin against her's thrilled her beyond belief. His hands caressed her face tentatively as if she were something he wasn't allowed to touch, but had to anyway. Her hands tangled in his blonde, cherub like curls. Her mouth was warm on his, needy, like she was trying to suck all the nectar from a flower. If Peter only had days left to remember Wendy, he wanted to spend it doing this.
"Peter," Wendy gasped, moving back a little. "I don't want you to forget me."
"I don't want to forget you either," Peter said, running his hands through her hair, and crying a bit.
The two crying teens fell asleep together on the bed. They didn't know when it happened, but they knew they felt peaceful in one another's arms.
…
Fay left because she couldn't take it any longer. Hearing Peter talk about the depths of his love for Wendy was one of the hardest thing she'd done. She had to escape, and she knew exactly where she would go.
"Maverick," Fay called, her inky black hair blowing in the wind. She stood on the shore calling toward a small boat. You may wonder how she knew the boat belonged to Maverick, well seeing as the boat was called "The Faery" she thought it was a pretty safe bet that it belonged to him.
The boat approached the shore as fast as the wind could carry it. Soon the boat had anchored, and Maverick was splashing through the water towards her.
"Fay!" He said, a jovial attitude practically reverberating through him.
"Hello, Maverick," Fay said, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Have you finally come to make good on your promise?" He asked.
Fay had, in all honestly, completely forgotten about her promise. She'd just known that she had to leave the tree house, and she knew Maverick would accept her no matter what.
"Yes," Fay lied.
"Well, welcome aboard," He said, gesturing to the dripping rope ladder. The rope was rough on Fay's hands as she climbed. The boat was much smaller than Hook's, but cleaner, and newer.
"How many belong to your crew?" Fay asked.
"So far, just you, me, and Lanore," He told her.
Lanore came out of the cabin then, and gave Fay a once over. Lanore had black eyes, and purplish hair that was shaved on one side. She was a normal weight, but her hips were wide like curves of a violin. Her skin was as dark as Maverick's, from a combination of the sun and her mother Fay guessed. She wore a billowy top, and brown pants, not a very colorful outfit. She had a dark speckling of freckles just on her nose, and a small gap between her two front teeth.
"This is Lanore, my half sister," Maverick explained. Lanore looked about two or three years younger than Maverick. She was cute, but she looked tough as well.
"Hello, Lanore, I'm Fay," Fay put out her hand to shake Lanore's.
"Ah, the girl who has stolen my brother's heart," Lanore smiled mischievously.
"I suppose," Fay said sheepishly, not quite sure of what to say to that statement.
"Lanore came with me when I declared I was starting my own crew," Maverick stated.
"Yup, big brother always looked after me, Hook could not have given less of a shit," Lanore spat onto the deck. Fay was a bit taken aback by her language, but Maverick seemed proud of her sailor's mouth.
"So, I hear you are going to be in our crew," Lanore said with a grin.
"Yes, I can't stay with Peter any longer," Fay said solemnly.
….
When Wendy woke up she found her face was against the warm, soft skin, and hard muscle of Peter's chest. She felt cozy and peaceful wrapped in his arms. It was like taking a nap in sunlight. Wendy searched for the reason she could have be woken up. She saw all the Lost Boys standing at the foot of Peter's large canopy bed.
"Peter," Wendy hissed, shaking him. She expected the Boys to be scandalized, but she realized they thought she and Peter were their parents. With their rudimentary idea of parents, they probably expected them to sleep in the same bed.
"Hello Boys," Peter stretched like a lazy cat.
"Peter, we can't find Fay anywhere," Cubby said worriedly.
"That's a lie, I know where she is," Slightly said proudly.
"Where?" Wendy asked.
"She's on a boat, I saw her. She was with that pirate who helped us fight Hook at Skull Rock," Slightly informed the group.
"She must have been sad and run off," Wendy said turning to Peter. Peter's lips were always such a vibrate pink, and always looked so kissable, so much so that even in this dire situation, Wendy couldn't help but wish she could kiss them again.
"We have to get her," Wendy said.
"Of course," Peter said with a serious nod.
"But there is a chance she doesn't want to come back," Peter said in a soft voice.
"I know that, but we have to try to apologize, we probably made her feel awful," Wendy said looking down ashamedly.
"You're right, and after that, I should go to Skull Rock," Peter said dismally.
"Yes," Wendy said, not able to meet Peter's eyes.
"I don't think the pirates will let us back in without a fight," Said Nibs.
"That's true," Peter mused.
"We can ask the Pixies, and Tigerlily and her people, to help us out, they will want the island fixed as much as we do," Wendy said.
"Sounds like a plan," Peter sighed.
"Boys, go get ready, I'm feeling much better, and we have to get this done as soon as possible," Peter ordered. The Boys saluted Peter and marched off.
"Wendy," Peter's voice was frayed. "You have to come with me."
"Peter, I don't know if I can," Wendy admitted. She imagined the recognition of her face seeping from Peter's eyes.
"You must," Peter begged. "I won't do it otherwise. I won't be able to, you have to force me. I want to see you as long as I can before I, before I-"
Peter couldn't finish the sentence. His head slumped onto Wendy's shoulder, and his shoulders shook with emotion.
"Shhh, shhh," Wendy said, feeling herself begin to cry again as well. "I'll do it, I'll go with you."